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Date:      Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:19:45 -0500
From:      Adam K Kirchhoff <akirchhoff135014@comcast.net>
To:        freebsd-x11@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: suggested xorg-compatible video HW for FreeBSD/amd64 ?
Message-ID:  <4ED52241.5040104@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To: <201111291304.15998.jkim@FreeBSD.org>
References:  <20111128092008.GA58668@onelab2.iet.unipi.it> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1111281838240.12923@wonkity.com> <20111129100035.24025c26@ernst.jennejohn.org> <201111291304.15998.jkim@FreeBSD.org>

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On 11/29/11 13:04, Jung-uk Kim wrote:
>
> I believe major hurdle is porting TTM but the future of this API is
> not so bright.  In fact, X.org ATI driver uses GEM API now and it is
> internally mapped to TTM calls by Linux DRM (aka "GEM-ified TTM
> manager").  Unfortunately, as always, I don't see clear plans from
> Linux/X.org developers.  I can only guess few possibilities.
>
> 1. Linux/X.org folks drop GEM-ified TTM and use native GEM calls.
> 2. Linux/X.org folks drop GEM-ified TTM and use native TTM calls.
> 3. Linux/X.org folks re-invent new wheels (again).
> 4. No change.
>
> My guess is #1 is most likely scenario in the near future.  Even if
> Linux/X.org folks don't do it, we may be able to implement it without
> TTM because X.org ATI driver uses GEM API already and we do not have
> AMD/ATI Catalyst driver for FreeBSD anyway.  So, I guess we have two
> choices ATM:
>
> 1. Fully porting TTM, GEM-ified TTM, and KMS.
> 2. Replacing GEM-ified TTM with GEM and porting KMS.
>
> BTW, I am not volunteering. ;-)
>
> Jung-uk Kim
> _______________________

Every conversation I've had with the radeon driver developers on the 
matter, even quite recently, has led me to believe that TTM will not be 
going away.  GEM is only appropriate for IGP GPUs.  Unless that changes 
within GEM, I do believe TTM will be used internally on the radeon DRM 
indefinitely.

If I had to guess, I'd say that anyone on the FreeBSD side deciding to 
get rid of TTM and use GEM only GEM for radeons would eventually come to 
the same conclusion as the developers who have been working with radeon 
hardware for years :-)

Adam




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